The Gray Pages

Monday, March 31, 2008

Early season thoughts

- I think I'm going to enjoy watching the Nationals' offense. Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Johnson, batting 3-4, are a nice combo. And while I'm not all that fond of Lastings Milledge, lots of people are, and I'm hoping to be wrong about him. (I saw Milledge play horrendously against the Sox a year or two ago. Not a good fielder. And he doesn't appear to be a patient hitter. Again, I hope I'm wrong.) The starting pitching, on the other hand will probably be quite ugly.

- The shots of the Nationals' new stadium, on TV (and photos in today's Post) make it look pretty nice to me. I think the seats are a little too expensive, regardless of the quality of the team. They'll sell plenty of tickets this year though -- new ballparks always do well -- so I have no right to complain. If the ticket sells, it is not too expensive. (Hello, Fenway!)

- Will we ever reach a point in this country at which we say, "That scoreboard in center field is too big"?

- Seeing Trot Nixon accept a demotion to Arizona's AAA team made me sad. I remember Tom and I, back in college, saying that we were tired of waiting for Nixon, and if he were any good, he'd surely be in the majors by now. (Now= fall of 1996.) He turned out to be a pretty good player, remembered most for owning Roger Clemens in a couple big games and a clutch homer against Oakland in the 2003 playoffs. His Jesus-thanking position after that particular homer made me cool on him (yeah, 'cuz G-d was hoping -- and could foresee -- that the Red Sox would lose much more painfully to the Yankees a couple weeks later), as was the fact that he never did learn to hit lefties. As he bulked up, I had my suspicions about his steroid use (though he wasn't named in the Mitchell Report). Yet Nixon was the first Red Sox draft pick I can remember rooting for from his time in the minors who actually panned out into a useful Red Sox player, unlike, say, Carl Pavano or Brian Rose or Kevin Morton or Phil Plantier. So it's sad watching his career fade away, as all careers do.

- ESPN's Baseball Tonight truly sucks. I can't believe I'm supposed to listen to John Kruk, Eric Young, Steve Phillips, and that Latino guy -- Estrada? Destrada? -- and think, "He's got a point." Why the ESPN folks are so fond of the White Sox -- who, by the way, lost 90 games last year -- is utterly beyond me.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

2008 Predictions - AL

AL Central:Cleveland: Assumes Borowski gets hurt, saving them from their managerDetroit: Is it me, or is Dontrelle Willis overrated?KC: Because everyone can't finish 4thMinnesota: Because I really hate the White SoxChicago: Probably aren't so bad. But I'll be rooting against them.

AL West:Anaheim: But it won't be because of Torii HunterSeattle: An otherwise nice team with Jose Vidro as DH deserves to be punishedOakland: Because they have pitchersTexas: Because they have no pitchers